Teaching your teen to drive safe

Just like a sports coach, your job as a parent and driving coach is to teach and stay cool under pressure. Being a good partner and co-pilot will help your teen driver keep it together, too.

Experience is key to teen driving safety

According to the CDC, Driver inexperience is the main cause for teen driving deaths every year.¹ Help your teen get as much behind-the-wheel time as possible in a mix of situations and road conditions. The more time they get to practice driving before they get their license, the better off they will be. 

Reinforce driver’s ed rules

Your teen will likely learn driving rules in an official driver’s ed class. But it’s your job to help them apply those rules in real-life situations. Need some direction? Here are 7 tips to make your teen a better driver.

Handling your teen’s driving mistakes

When your teen practices driving, be sure to remain calm and focused. And expect some mistakes. 

To help your teen avoid making mistakes and reduce stress, keep these tips in mind:

• Make sure only you and your teen are in the vehicle to avoid teen driving distractions. 
• Try different situations, starting with daylight hours and good weather.
• Drive in low-risk areas, such as parking lots, parks and quiet streets.

Be a driving role model

The best way to reinforce good driving habits is to display them. Don’t just talk or preach about them – show them. If you show good driving technique and avoid distractions – like texting, talking & eating – your young driver might, too.